Extract text from Alternate data files (ALT)
To convert ALT Alternate files to another format, you need Factorio or other Data software.
To convert other file formats to the "Alternate Data File" file type, you need software like Factorio or a similar tool.
The .ALT file extension is a generic, multi-purpose format used by entirely unrelated applications to store "alternate" versions of files. The most common variants include compressed Windows executables packed by legacy PKLITE software, alternative game save states for the automation game Factorio, and hidden original image backups generated by the now-discontinued Google Picasa.
Because .ALT is merely a naming convention rather than a standardized file structure, managing these files is extremely frustrating. Users typically discover them as orphaned files on old hard drives, hidden inside .picasaoriginals folders, or left behind by server operations like Microsoft Dynamics AX. Standard online converters completely fail to process an .ALT file because the extension provides no reliable indicator of the internal data payload - it could contain binary executable code (EXE), standard image data (JFIF), or plain text strings (JSON).
Furthermore, many of the programs that originated these files are obsolete. Google Picasa is discontinued, and PKWARE's PKLITE relies on outdated MS-DOS architecture. This forces users into a frustrating guessing game, trying to figure out which software will accept the file.
If your .ALT file is actually a Picasa backup or Canon camera metadata file, the optimal target is to extract the JFIF payload and convert it into a standard JPG or PNG. If it is a house design project from the Stroy-calc web planner, extracting the raw data into a JSON file is the best path. However, proprietary binary blobs like Factorio game saves hold zero value outside of their native game engine, making external conversion impossible.
This file format is difficult to open or convert because there is no unified standard, and often only the original software can properly read or export the data. Our deep-file analysis ignores the misleading extension and inspects the internal headers directly to see if a convertible image or text format is hidden inside.
Convert.Guru analyzes your ALT file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted DRS, GAX and AGN files.
If you want to convert ALT file to TMP, TEMP, CACHE, LOG, BAK, OLD, NEW, PART, DOWNLOAD, CRDOWNLOAD, LOCK or PID, you can use Factorio or similar software from the "Alternate Data Storage" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert DEVICE, CACHE, SOCK, SYMLINK, PID, MOUNT, FIFO, LOG, PIPE, TMP, JUNCTION or TEMP files to ALT, try Factorio or another comparable tool in the "Alternate Data Storage" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our ALT converter.